The book’s subtitle— The Future is Human —is its strongest asset. In an era where marketers are obsessed with the Metaverse, Generative AI, and algorithms, Kotler pulls the reader back to reality. He argues that as technology becomes more invisible and integrated, the customer experience must become more human. It is a call to use technology to enhance human connection, not replace it.

To understand where we are going, we must glance back. Marketing has evolved in distinct stages, each triggered by a technological leap.

Marketing 6.0 fails if customers feel "hacked." It only succeeds if they feel "understood."